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5 minutes to book. Best day of our entire trip. Everything felt effortless from pickup to sunset.
Port guide
Carrick on Shannon — at a glance
53 boats are available to book in Carrick on Shannon from The Marina. The fleet is 47 motor boats and 6 houseboats. The most common models are Shannon Star (9), Magnifique (4), Lake Star (4), Elegance (4), Consul (3) — 24 models in all. Built 1993–2020, 9–15 m long, 1–5 cabins, up to 12 guests. Day rates start from €231; the typical boat here is around €260 per day, and every price on this page is the boat’s own listed rate before extras.
Carrick-on-Shannon is the boating capital of the Shannon, a market town on the upper river two hours from Dublin, and its marina is the largest hire base on Ireland’s waterways: licence-free cruisers south down the river through Lough Ree to Athlone, Clonmacnoise and Lough Derg, north to Lough Key and the Shannon–Erne waterway into Fermanagh. Slow water, few locks, and a pub at every harbour.
Getting there
By air. Dublin Airport (DUB) is about 150 km — two hours by road or coach; Knock (NOC) about 80 km, an hour. By rail and bus. Carrick-on-Shannon station on the Dublin–Sligo line, two hours from Dublin Connolly; Bus Éireann coaches from Dublin airport. The marina is a ten-minute walk. By road. The N4 from Dublin; free parking at the marina.
Carrick on Shannon before you cast off
The town has the smallest chapel in Ireland and a waterfront of pubs and restaurants; Lough Key forest park and its castle island are 15 minutes upstream; Strokestown Park house and the Famine museum 30 minutes by road.
Supermarkets in the town within walking distance of the marina; the base has a shop, water and fuel.
A week from Carrick on Shannon
Day 1 — base → Lough Key / Boyle or Dromod (15–25 km). A short first afternoon: north to the forest park lake of Lough Key, or south to the harbour at Dromod.
Day 2 — → Lough Ree, Lanesborough (40 km, 2 locks). Down the river past Roosky and Tarmonbarry to the top of Lough Ree.
Day 3 — Lanesborough → Athlone (30 km across Lough Ree). The big lake in calm weather, then the town of Athlone and its castle.
Day 4 — Athlone → Clonmacnoise → Banagher (30 km, 1 lock). The monastic ruins of Clonmacnoise from the river, then Banagher.
Day 5 — Banagher → Portumna (30 km, 1 lock). Down to the top of Lough Derg and Portumna’s castle.
Day 6 — Portumna → Athlone (60 km). Back up the river (or continue to Lough Derg for a longer week).
Day 7 — Athlone → base (30–70 km). Home up Lough Ree and the river by mid-morning.
Types of boats in Carrick on Shannon
- Motor boats 47 boats · from €231 per day
- Houseboats 6 boats · from €240 per day
Ports near Carrick on Shannon
Banagher (5 boats · 84 km) · Portumna (34 boats · 95 km) · All boats in Ireland
Carrick on Shannon · prices
What a charter in Carrick on Shannon actually costs
Adriavela lists 53 boats leaving from Carrick on Shannon. What separates one price from another is the type of boat, its size, and the base it leaves from — not the month you go.
The average week is €2,006 and the cheapest boat on the list is €1,617. Figures are list prices for a 7-night bareboat charter, refreshed nightly; the exact total for your dates is confirmed on the boat’s own page before you book.
| Boat type | Boats | Guests | From | Average | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motor boat 9–15 m · 3 cabins · built 2001 | Boats47 | Guests3–12 | From€1,617 | Average€1,971 | |
| Houseboat 10.2–14.5 m · 3 cabins · built 2000 | Boats6 | Guests5–12 | From€1,680 | Average€2,042 |
| Charter length | Available for a trip type | Share of fleet |
|---|---|---|
| One day | Available for a trip type 40 | Share of fleet75% |
| Two days | Available for a trip type 40 | Share of fleet75% |
| Three days | Available for a trip type 40 | Share of fleet75% |
| Four days | Available for a trip type 40 | Share of fleet75% |
| One week | Available for a trip type 53 | Share of fleet100% |
Short charters are priced per boat and date rather than by the week, so no range is quoted here. Pick your days on a boat’s page and the rate comes back live.
| Budget / week | Boats | Sleeps | Typical size | Mostly | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| €1,500 – €3,000 | Boats12 100% | Sleeps8 | Typical size14 m | Mostly6 houseboats, 6 motor boats |
Frequently asked questions
How much does a yacht charter in Carrick on Shannon cost?
Day rates on the boats listed here start from €231 and the typical boat is around €260 per day; a week (7 nights) starts from €1,617. Prices are the boats’ own listed rates; fuel, marina fees on the route and local taxes are paid separately.
What kinds of boats can I charter in Carrick on Shannon?
53 boats are available to book in Carrick on Shannon: 47 motor boats and 6 houseboats. The most common models are Shannon Star, Magnifique, Lake Star, Elegance.
Can I take a boat out for just one day?
Yes — 40 boats here accept a single-day booking. A day rate is quoted for the specific boat and date, so pick your day on the boat’s own page and the price comes back live.
What is not in the price?
The figure is for the boat. Transit log, tourist tax and the APA are mandatory, set per boat, and paid at the base. Skipper, hostess, extra equipment and other services are optional and also settled at the base.
Why do some boats show no price?
41 of the 53 boats in Carrick on Shannon are on request — usually larger or crewed yachts, where the rate depends on the week and the crew. They are left out of every figure above.
How far is the airport from Carrick on Shannon?
The nearest airport is Dublin Airport (DUB), about 135 km away as the crow flies; Shannon Airport (SNN) is about 150 km. Transfer times by road are longer; most charter companies arrange a transfer to the base on request.
Do I need a licence for a motor cruiser here?
No. The hire cruisers on these waterways are licence-free for boats under the local power limit; the base gives an hour’s instruction on handling, mooring and the locks or bridges before departure.
What day do charters start?
Weekly hires usually run Saturday to Saturday or Friday to Friday, with handover in the afternoon and return by mid-morning; shorter breaks are common — the exact times are on each boat’s page.
Are the Shannon lakes difficult?
Lough Ree and Lough Derg are large enough to raise a chop in a westerly, so hire boats cross them in calm weather and stay in the river and the harbours otherwise; the base’s weather advice is part of the briefing.